Sporobolus creber
Slender rat's-tail grass
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass
Sporobolus creber (Slender rat's-tail grass) is a California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by small spikelets, 2 anthers, interrupted inflorescence.
Slender rat's-tail grass is a naturalized perennial grass found in open, disturbed areas and roadsides at elevations around 30 meters. Flowering from April to November, this grass produces dark green or lead-colored spikelets 1.1 to 1.5 millimeters long with delicate, unequal glumes. Growing in dense tufts with erect stems 70 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms distinctive clumps with thin green to brown leaves. Its grass blades are narrow, measuring 6 to 30 centimeters long and only 1 to 2 millimeters wide, with glabrous or slightly ciliate margins. The fruit is small, red-brown, and 0.7 to 0.8 millimeters long with a 4-angled turbinate shape.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; key features are small spikelets, 2 anthers, interrupted inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, disturbed areas, roadsides
Elevation: 30 m
Outside California: eastern Australia
Bloom period
Sporobolus creber blooms Apr-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Typha: Typha (cattails) has thick, sausage-like brown flower spikes and wide strap-like leaves, not grass flowers.; vs Distichlis: Distichlis forms stiff colonies in salt marshes with distinctly two-ranked leaves, lacking ciliate sheaths.; vs Muhlenbergia: Sporobolus has fringed hairs on leaf sheath margins; Muhlenbergia sheaths are smooth.; vs Leymus: Leymus has spike-like inflorescences with spikelets in pairs, not the open panicles of Sporobolus.; vs Oloptum: Oloptum has prominent bent awns and plumose hairs; Sporobolus is awnless with ciliate sheaths.
Frequently asked questions
When does Sporobolus creber bloom?
Sporobolus creber blooms Apr-Nov.
What plant family does Sporobolus creber belong to?
Sporobolus creber is in the Poaceae family, genus Sporobolus.
What habitat does Sporobolus creber grow in?
Sporobolus creber grows in Open, disturbed areas, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.